Graffiti angers city neighborhood

Thu, December 28, 2006

UPDATED: 2006-12-28 17:22:01 MST


By SARAH KENNEDY, CALGARY SUN


More than a dozen residents of a southeast city neighbourhood were enraged when they awoke on Thursday to find obscene graffiti spray-painted across their vehicles, garages and fences.

The bright-orange graffiti could be traced for several blocks along Mt. McKenzie Drive S.E. and hit more than 12 properties, including the home of a police officer.

Const. Jen LeBlanc said investigators are taking the crime “very seriously.”

“There’s a lot of damage done,” she said.

And when Qais Nayani left for work early Thursday morning, he initially thought someone had just spilled something down the side of his SUV.

On closer inspection he realized the whole side door of his vehicle had been spray-painted orange and his wife’s car was covered in vulgar language in the same paint.

“I’m really annoyed,” he said.


“I feel insulted and disrespected.”

Nayani said his wife didn’t even want to drive her car because she was so humiliated by the graffiti.

The couple took the SUV to a nearby mechanic shop and paid to have the paint removed.

About 10 houses away, Barry, 72, who didn’t want his last name used, spent much of the afternoon scrubbing at his garage door with spray paint remover and a small brush.

The graffiti, that resembled gang taggings, stretched from one side of his garage to the other.

Barry said he noticed about three different sets of footprints in the snow when he went to inspect the damage.

“I think it’s kids,” he said.

“I’d love to get my hands on them.”

LeBlanc said it’s not known whether it was young kids or even teenagers responsible for the graffiti but she said they believe more than one person was involved.

“We know at least two people are responsible,” she said.

LeBlanc said it’s difficult to estimate the cost of damages because some of the residents were able to remove the paint themselves, while others had to pay to get rid of the graffiti.

Anyone with information on the graffiti is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.